IN BRIEF
IN BRIEF
uMILK Marques product development centre near Nantwich, Cheshire, is set to close with the loss of 15 jobs. After the groups split in 2000 it was hoped a buyer could be found to take on the business as a going concern, but this has proved impossible. The centre was established in 1993 to offer consultancy and other services to the dairy and liquid food sector.
uNUMBER crunchers at the Intervention Board have finalised milk super-levy payments for the 1999/2000 milk year. A small cut in wholesale deliveries means these ended up 60m litres over quota, about 1m litres less than the provisional figures calculated last summer. This has cut overall super-levy liability by about £300,000, to £13.17m. Individual adjustments mean some dairies will receive supplementary invoices, while others will be entitled to credit notes. Farmer suppliers will be notified. Direct sales liability increased by just £22,000 to £1.3m raising in the dilute rate by 0.67p/litre to 12.11p/litre.
uTHE Wool Board has announced that wool collection can take place in areas not infected by foot-and-mouth disease. The new wool season started officially on May 1, and total clip is expected to be at least 15% below the normal figure of about 46m kgs. The Board has issued a code of practice for the delivery of wool, as agreed by MAFF, to be implemented alongside the NAAC protocol for shearing. Full details are available at www.britishwool.org.uk *